The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-05-21
THE OCEAN STEAMSHIP.
How the Passengers are Provisioned
and Provided For.

and Provided For.
Passengers inhale with the sea air an
excess of enthusiasm, and are ready to be-
come excited on the smallest provocation.
Is it a passing vessel? Or a spouting
whale ? Or towering iceberg? 1t forms
for the nonce an all-absorbing topic of in
terest and eager speculation. But, even to
those who cannot be termed epicures, the
chief concern and uppermost thought of
each day is undoubtedly "What shall we
eat and what shall We drink ?" The fresh
breezes create hearty appetites, and with
numbers of people the time is agreeably
spent in the enjoyment of one meal or in
the anticipation of the next. No apology
becomes necessary for introducing some
statistics relative to the consumption of
victualing and other stores, especially to
such readers as have crossed the Atlantic,
and to those who contemplate making the
trip.
The chief steward is not only responsible
for the good order of the servants and the
cleanliness of tho saloons, cabins, baths, &C.,
but for providing the passengers with a
good and liberal table. The greatest care
is exercised in the selection of the staff who
have to attend to the passengers wants, and
that these are many and constant the ordi-
nary routine will show.
THE COOKS KEPT BUSY.
The bakers turn out at a. M; this is
not case of weather permitting" for
''blow high, blow low" out they come, or
there would be no hot rolls or bread or cakes
for breakfast. The cooks turn out at $50
a. IN. At a. m. coffee is served in the
staterooms to any passenger requiring it,
or on deck should any one have so far for
gotten himself as to get out of bed at
that hour Breakfast is served from to
10 a, NJ, lunch from l to 2 p. m.; dinner
from to I p. M; in the intervals between
breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and
dinner and supper, the passengers assist
digestion with ginger nuts, prunes, oranges,
nuts, cake, and many other things looked
upon with horror by the natural man; and
this never ceases until the end Of the voy-
age, giving employment 10 the cook till 10
p. m. The bakers finish the days work
at Z p. M. The stewards turn out at a.
m, clean saloons, smoking rooms, etc., and
prepare the tables for breakfast; a portion
Of the stewards attend to the bedrooms,
but the greater number attend at table or
wherever they may be required. They
finish the days work at IL p. M, and are
the hardest worked men on board the ship.
The amount of provisions, groceries, etc.,
on board at the time of sailing are very
large. For single passage to the west
ward one of our most noted steamers, with
547 cabin passengers and crew of 287
persons, had, when leaving Liverpool on
the 2Sth of August last, the following guam
titles of provisions-12, $50 pounds fresh
beef, 760 pounds corned beef, 5, ,320 pounds
mutton, $50 pounds lamb, $50 pounds veal,
$50 pounds pork, 1000 pounds fresh fish,
600 fowls, 300 chickens, 100 ducks, 80
geese, so turkeys, 200 brace grouse, Is
tons potatoes, 30 hampers vegetables, 200
quarts ice cream, 1000 quarts milk and
IL 800 eggs.
In groceries alone there were over 200
different articles, including (for the round
voyage of twenty-five days)-650 pounds
tea, 1900 pounds coffee, 1000 pounds
white sugar, $500 pounds moist sugar,
$50 pounds of pulverized sugar, 1900
pounds cheese, 1000 pounds butter, $500
pounds ham and 1000 pounds bacon.
EASILY ACCOUNTED FOR.
The foregoing seems enormous quanti-
ties, but very little was left upon the ships
arrival in port The consumption may
easily be accounted for when it is consid-
cred that the crew leach member of which
is allowed two pounds of beef per day. use
574 pounds, that $50 pounds per day will
be used in making beef tea, making total
of 924 pounds for the crew and the single
item of beef tea; then breakfast, lunch,
dinner and supper for SAT passengers ac-
counts for the remainder. Eleven thou
sand five hundred eggs appears to be a
large consumption for an eight days pas
sage; it is in reality one egg per minute
from the time the ship sails from Liverpool
until her arrival in New York, but they
are prepared in many ways for breakfast
and disappear in hundreds at supper; in
fact it is not an unusual thing to see lady
or gentleman finish on supper OF grllled
chicken and deviled sardines with four
poached eggs on toast, and it is the same
with everything on board, Lemons are
used at the rate of II per head per day (;
oranges, per head per day, and apples,
when in season, at the rate of 2i per head
per day.
The quantities of wine, spirits, beer, etc.,
put on board for consumption on the round
voyage comprise 1,100 bottles of cham
pague, $50 bottles of claret, 5000 bottles of
ale, $500 bottles of porter, 4,5OO bottles
of mineral waters and Gao bottles of vari-
GUS spirits.
Crockery is broken very extensively, be-
ing at the rate of 900 plates $50 cups, 43S
saucers, 1918 tumblers, 200 wine glasses,
27 decanters aud Ga water bottles in a
single voyage.--Leuisui2le Courier-.JournaI.